What international observers said about Somaliland election

AFP Photo: The flag of Somaliland is seen during a campaign rally in Hargeisa on Nov. 8, 2024, ahead of the 2024 Somaliland presidential election.

HARGEISA, Somalia - The public is waiting for the outcome of the recently concluded Somaliland election, which analysts projected as 'too close to call' given the intense campaigns by rival parties that had borrowed greatly from advanced democracies as a strategy to better future encounters.

Somaliland, a region fighting for secession from Somalia, is yet to get international recognition but it's striving to promote its internal institutions, a great lesson to the whole of Somalia. It closely monitors its affairs just like the Puntland state.

A preliminary assessment from the International Election Observation Mission (IEOM) of Somaliland’s presidential elections noted that the elections took place in a mostly calm and peaceful environment where registered voters were able to exercise their 'right to vote' during the day.

The team says it did not observe any serious irregularities or electoral malpractice, although observers did observe procedural and administrative inconsistency that could be addressed by better training.

Consequently, the IEOM has identified a number of issues that electoral authorities could address including making sure that the secrecy of the vote is upheld in future elections and that the voter register is updated more regularly and closer to the holding of elections to ensure it is up-to-date.

In addition, voters need to be better informed about voting procedures, leading to some of the mistakes that were noted throughout the exercise. The general exercise, they contended, is a 'good move for the beginning and can be improved'.

Muse Bihi Abdi, the incumbent president of the region, is facing stiff competition from the Waddani party leader Abdirahman Irro and UCID boss Faisal Warabe. During the 2021 parliamentary elections, the Kulmiye party scooped 30 seats as opposed to 52 of the opposition outfits.

The region has stirred a major controversy in the Horn of Africa having signed an agreement with Ethiopia over access to sea in exchange for recognition. This triggered epic geopolitics, including but not limited to Somalia’s decision to sign a defense pact with Egypt.

GAROWE ONLINE